the malay archipelago-2-第36章

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sea　　implies　a　former　connexion　of　the　adjacent　lands；　but　i￡　this　evidence　is　wanting；　or　if　there　is　reason　to　suspect　a　rising　of　the　land；　then　the　shallow　sea　may　be　the　result　of　that　rising；　and　may　indicate　that　the　two　countries　will　be　joined　at　some　future　time；　but　not　that　they　have　previously　been　so。　The　nature　of　the　animals　and　plants　inhabiting　these　countries　will；　however；　almost　always　enable　us　to　determine　this　question。　Mr。　Darwin　has　shown　us　how　we　may　determine　in　almost　every　case；　whether　an　island　has　ever　been　connected　with　a　continent　or　larger　land；　by　the　presence　or　absence　of　terrestrial　Mammalia　and　reptiles。　What　he　terms　〃oceanic　islands　〃possess　neither　of　these　groups　of　animals；　though　they　may　have　a　luxuriant　vegetation；　and　a　fair　number　of　birds；　insects；　and　landshells；　and　we　therefore　conclude　that　they　have　originated　in　mid…ocean；　and　have　never　been　connected　with　the　nearest　masses　of　land。　St。　Helena；　Madeira；　and　New　Zealand　are　examples　of　oceanic　islands。　They　possess　all　other　classes　of　life；　because　these　have　means　of　dispersion　over　wide　spaces　of　sea；　which　terrestrial　mammals　and　birds　have　not；　as　is　fully　explained　in　Sir　Charles　Lyell's　〃Principles　of　Geology；〃　and　Mr。　Darwin's　〃Origin　of　Species。〃　On　the　other　hand；　an　island　may　never　have　been　actually　connected　with　the　adjacent　continents　or　islands；　and　yet　may　possess　representatives　of　all　classes　of　animals；　because　many　terrestrial　mammals　and　some　reptiles　have　the　means　of　passing　over　short　distances　of　sea。　But　in　these　cases　the　number　of　species　that　have　thus　migrated　will　be　very　small；　and　there　will　be　great　deficiencies　even　in　birds　and　flying　insects；　which　we　should　imagine　could　easily　cross　over。　The　island　of　Timor　（as　I　have　already　shown　in　Chapter　XIII）　bears　this　relation　to　Australia；　for　while　it　contains　several　birds　and　insects　of　Australian　forms；　no　Australian　mammal　or　reptile　is　found　in　it；　and　a　great　number　of　the　most　abundant　and　characteristic　forms　of　Australian　birds　and　insects　are　entirely　absent。　Contrast　this　with　the　British　Islands；　in；　which　a　large　proportion　of　the　plants；　insects；　reptiles；　and　Mammalia　of　the　adjacent　parts　of　the　continent　are　fully　represented；　while　there　are　no　remarkable　deficiencies　of　extensive　groups；　such　as　always　occur　when　there　is　reason　to　believe　there　has　been　no　such　connexion。　The　case　of　Sumatra；　Borneo；　and　Java；　and　the　Asiatic　continent　is　equally　clear；　many　large　Mammalia；　terrestrial　birds；　and　reptiles　being　common　to　all；　while　a　large　number　more　are　of　closely　allied　forms。　Now；　geology　has　taught　us　that　this　representation　by　allied　forms　in　the　same　locality　implies　lapse　of　time；　and　we　therefore　infer　that　in　Great　Britain；　where　almost　every　species　is　absolutely　identical　with　those　on　the　Continent；　the　separation　has　been　very　recent；　while　in　Sumatra　and　Java；　where　a　considerable　number　of　the　continental　species　are　represented　by　allied　forms；　the　separation　was　more　remote。

From　these　examples　we　may　see　how　important　a　supplement　to　geological　evidence　is　the　study　of　the　geographical　distribution　of　animals　and　plants；　in　determining　the　former　condition　of　the　earth's　surface；　and　how　impossible　it　is　to　understand　the　former　without　taking　the　latter　into　account。　The　productions　of　the　Aru　Islands　offer　the　strangest　evidence；　that　at　no　very　distant　epoch　they　formed　a　part　of　New　Guinea；　and　the　peculiar　physical　features　which　I　have　described；　indicate　that　they　must　have　stood　at　very　nearly　the　same　level　then　as　they　do　now；　having　been　separated　by　the　subsidence　of　the　great　plain　which　formerly　connected　them　with　it。

Persons　who　have　formed　the　usual　ideas　of　the　vegetation　of　the　tropics　who　picture　to　themselves　the　abundance　and　brilliancy　of　the　flowers；　and　the　magnificent　appearance　of　hundreds　of　forest　trees　covered　with　masses　of　coloured　blossoms；　will　be　surprised　to　hear；　that　though　vegetation　in　Aru　is　highly　luxuriant　and　varied；　and　would　afford　abundance　of　fine　and　curious　plants　to　adorn　our　hothouses；　yet　bright　and　showy　flowers　are；　as　a　general　rule；　altogether　absent；　or　so　very　scarce　as　to　produce　no　effect　whatever　on　the　general　scenery。　To　give　particulars：　I　have　visited　five　distinct　localities　in　the　islands；　I　have　wandered　daily　in　the　forests；　and　have　passed　along　upwards　of　a　hundred　miles　of　coast　and　river　during　a　period　of　six　months；　much　of　it　very　fine　weather；　and　till　just　as　I　was　about　to　leave；　I　never　saw　a　single　plant　of　striking　brilliancy　or　beauty；　hardly　a　shrub　equal　to　a　hawthorn；　or　a　climber　equal　to　a　honeysuckle！　It　cannot　be　said　that　the　flowering　season　had　not　arrived；　for　I　saw　many　herbs；　shrubs；　and　forest　trees　in　flower；　but　all　had　blossoms　of　a　green　or　greenish…white　tint；　not　superior　to　our　lime…trees。　Here　and　there　on　the　river　banks　and　coasts　are　a　few　Convolvulaceae；　not　equal　to　our　garden　Ipomaeas；　and　in　the　deepest　shades　of　the　forest　some　fine　scarlet　and　purple　Zingiberaceae；　but　so　few　and　scattered　as　to　be　nothing　amid　the　mass　of　green　and　flowerless　vegetation。　Yet　the　noble　Cycadaceae　and　screw…pines；　thirty　or　forty　feet　high；　the　elegant　tree　ferns；　the　lofty　palms；　and　the　variety　of　beautiful　and　curious　plants　which　everywhere　meet　the　eye；　attest　the　warmth　and　moisture　of　the　tropics；　and　the　fertility　of　the　soil。

It　is　true　that　Aru　seemed　to　me　exceptionally　poor　in　flowers；　but　this　is　only　an　exaggeration　of　a　general　tropical　feature；　for　my　whole　experience　in　the　equatorial　regions　of　the　west　and　the　east　has　convinced　me；　that　in　the　most　luxuriant　parts　of　the　tropics；　flowers　are　less　abundant；　on　the　average　less　showy；　and　are　far　less　effective　in　adding　colour　to　the　landscape　than　in　temperate　climates。　I　have　never　seen　in　the　tropics　such　brilliant　masses　of　colour　as　even　England　can　show　in　her　furze…clad　commons；　her　heathery　mountain…sides；　her　glades　of　wild　hyacinths；　her　fields　of　poppies；　her　meadows　of　buttercups　and　orchisescarpets　of　yellow；　purple；　azure…blue；　and　fiery　crimson；　which　the　tropics　can　rarely　exhibit。　We；　have　smaller　masses　of　colour　in　our　hawthorn　and　crab　trees；　our　holly　and　mountain…ash；　our　boom；　foxgloves；　primroses；　and　purple　vetches；　which　clothe　with　gay　colours　the　whole　length　and　breadth　of　our　land；　These　beauties　are　all　common。　They　are　characteristic　of　the　country　and　the　climate；　they　have　not　to　be　sought　for；　but　they　gladden　the　eye　at　every　step。　In　the　regions　of　the　equator；　on　the　other　hand；　whether　it　be　forest　or　savannah；　a　sombre　green　clothes　universal　nature。　You　may　journey　for　hours；　and　even　for　days；　and　meet　with　nothing　to　break　the　monotony。　Flowers　are　everywhere　rare；　and　anything　at　all　striking　is　only　to　be　met　with　at　very　distant　intervals。

The　idea　that　nature　exhibits　gay　colours　in　the　tropics；　and　that　the　general　aspect　of　nature　is　there　more　bright　and　varied　in　hue　than　with　us；　has　even　been　made　the　foundation　of　theories　of　art；　and　we　have　been　forbidden　to　use　bright　colours　in　our　garments；　and　in　the　decorations　of　our　dwellings；　because　it　was　supposed　that　we　should　be　thereby　acting　in　opposition　to　the　teachings　of　nature。　The　argument　itself　is　a　very　poor　one；　since　it　might　with　equal　justice　be　maintained；　that　as　we　possess　faculties　for　the　appreciation　of　colours；　we　should　make　up　for　the　deficiencies　of　nature　and　use　the　gayest　tints　in　those　regions　where　the　landscape　is　most　monotonous。　But　the　assumption　on　which　the　argument　is　founded　is　totally　false；　so　that　even　if　the　reasoning　were　valid；　we　need　not　be　afraid　of　outraging　nature；　by　decorating　our　houses　and　our　persons　with　all　those　gay　hues　which　are　so　lavishly　spread　over　our　fields　and　mountains；　our　hedges；　woods；　and　meadows。

It　is　very　easy　to　see　what　has　led　to　this　erroneous　view　of　the　nature　of　tropical　vegetation。　In　our　hothouses　and　at　our　flower…shows　we　gather　together　the　finest　flowering　plants　from　the　most　distant　regions　of　the　earth；　and　exhibit　them　in　a　proximity　to　each　other　which　never　occurs　in　nature。　A　hundred　distinct　plants；　all　with　bright；　or　strange；　or　gorgeous　flowers；　make　a　wonderful　show　when　brought　together；　but　perhaps　no　two　of　these　plants　could　ever　be　seen　together　in　a　state　of　nature；　each　inhabiting　a　distant　region　or　a　different　station。　Again；　all　moderately　warm　extra…European　countries　are　mixed　up　with　the　tropics　in　general　estimation；　and　a　vague　idea　is　formed　that　whatever　is　preeminently　beautiful　must　come　from　the　hottest　parts　of　the　earth。　But　the　fact　is　quite　the　contrary。　Rhododendrons　and　azaleas　are　plants　of　temperate　regions；　the　grandest　lilies　are　from　temperate　Japan；　and　a　large　proportion　of　our　most　showy　flowering　plants　are　natives　of　the　Himalayas；　of　the　Cape；　of　the　United　States；　of　Chili；　or　of　China　and　Japan；　all　temperate　regions。　True；　there　are　a　great　number　of　grand　and　gorgeous　flowers　in　the　tropics；　but　the　proportion　they　bear　to　the　mass　of　the　vegetation　is　exceedingly　small；　so　that　what　appears　an　anomaly　is　nevertheless　a　fact；　and　the　effect　of　flowers　on　the　general　aspect　of　nature　is　far　less　in　the　equatorial　than　in　the　temperate　regions　of　the　earth。

CHAPTER　XXXIV。

NEW　GUINEA。DOREY；

（MARCH　TO　JULY　1858。）

AFTER　my　return　from　Gilolo　to　Ternate；　in　March　1858；　I　made　arrangements　for　my　long…wished…for　voyage　to　the　mainland　of　New　Guinea；　where　I　anticipated　that　my　collections　would　surpass　those　which　I　had　formed　at　the　Aru　Islands。　The　poverty　of　Ternate　in　articles　used　by　Europeans　was　shown；　by　my　searching　in　vain　through　all　the　stores　for　such　common　things　as　flour；　metal　spoons；　wide…mouthed　phials；　beeswax；　a　penknife；　and　a　stone　or　metal　pestle　and　mortar。　I　took　with　me　four　servants：　my　head　man　Ali；　and　a　Ternate　lad　named　Jumaat　（Friday）；　to　shoot；　Lahagi；　a　steady　middle…aged　man；　to　cut　timber　and　assist　me　in　insect…collecting；　and　Loisa；　a　Javanese　cook。　As　I　knew　I　should　have　to　build　a　house　at　Dorey；　where　I　was　going；　I　took　with　me　eighty　cadjans；　or　waterproof　mats；　made　of　pandanus　leaves；　to　cover　over　my　baggage　on　first　landing；　and　to　help　to　roof　my　house　afterwards。

We　started　on　the　25th　of　March　in　the　schooner　Hester　Helena；　belonging　to　my　friend　Mr。　Duivenboden；　and　bound　on　a　trading　voyage　along　the　north　coast　of　New　Guinea。　Having　calms　and　light　airs；　we　were　three　days　reaching　Gane；　near　the　south　end　of　Gilolo；　where　we　stayed　to　fill。　up　our　water…casks　and　buy　a　few　provisions。　We　obtained　fowls；　eggs；　sago；　plantains；　sweet　potatoes；　yellow　pumpkins；　chilies；　fish；　and　dried　deer's　meat；　and　on　the　afternoon　of　the　29th　proceeded　on　our　voyage　to　Dorey　harbour。　We　found　it；　however；　by　no　means　easy　to　get　along；　for　so　near　to　the　equator　the　monsoons　entirely　fail　of　their　regularity；　and　after　passing　the　southern　point　of　Gilolo　we　had　calms；　light　puffs　of　wind；　and　contrary　currents；　which　kept　us　for　five　days　in　sight　of　the　same　islands　between　it　and　Poppa。　A　squall　them　brought　us　on　to　the　entrance　of　Dampier's　Straits；　where　we　were　again　becalmed；　and　were　three　more　days　creeping　through　them。　Several　native　c